Question: I'm curious if people have opinions/advice regarding whether attending a lower-ranked law school would be a bad idea (e.g. would significantly hinder my long-term career goals), considering that I don't have an interest in BigLaw and plan to practice in the Midwest market.

Background: I graduated two years ago with my undergrad and am working full-time as a paralegal at a boutique law firm that specializes in employment immigration. I live in the Twin Cities (Minneapolis/St. Paul), and plan to stay and pursue my law career here. I have no interest in being a "big, fancy lawyer" - I don't want to work 80 hours a week and live under a constant cloud of stress. I want to be successful and proud of my career, but to achieve that, I don't feel the need to do a federal clerkship or work at a top firm even in the Twin Cities. I'm not interested in litigation and prefer administrative law; I have done internships in public interest law and have discovered that it is not for me. The attorneys I work for went to local schools in the Midwest, and they have their own firm, make a very good living, and have high standing in the community. My ideal goal is to go to law school part-time while working full-time (or close to full-time) at my current position. I think it is a good possibility that the firm I am currently at would hire me on as an attorney after I graduate, or at least would help me network and find a position.

I am currently looking at applying to Mitchell Hamline School of Law. With my GPA and LSAT scores, I am fairly certain I could get a full-ride or very close to it. Nationally, the school is ranked very low, but it is well-known and respected in the Twin Cities. They have a part-time program I could attend that would allow me to continue working. However, I believe I could get into the University of Minnesota - a much higher ranked institution - but attending part-time isn't an option, and I doubt I would get close to a full ride.

Conclusion: Basically I'm looking for any comments on the importance/necessity of attending a top-tier school if I have more moderate career goals. Thank you!